This invention relates to pile carpet trimming devices, and more particularly to an improved apparatus for beveling carpet edges and forming bas-relief designs or patterns in pile carpet surfaces.
Pile carpet inlays and bas-relief carpet designs have become an increasingly popular alternative to custom carpet manufacture due to the obvious differences in both cost and design restrictions. Designs can be created and inlays highlighted by using trimming and/or beveling techniques on pile carpet surfaces to produce variations in the carpet pile height. Also, finished edges are produced by beveling prior to the addition of trim material to the fringe. Such techniques usually are performed on the carpet surface and edges with the use of pneumatic or electric shears having a pair of toothed blade members which laterally reciprocally move relative to one another for engagement of the teeth thereon with the designated carpet pile.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,088,162 discloses a pile carpet trimming and beveling apparatus comprising electrically powered shears that are vertically and rotatably adjustably attached to a base plate for producing carpet designs with varying pile depths and angular cuts. This prior art, however, is not particularly suited for trimming carpet edges, and utilizes intricately assembled parts which would be too expensive competitively to produce in today's marketplace. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,790 also discloses pile carpet carving apparatus comprising a pile cutter or trimming device pivotally mounted above a base plate for vertical and angular adjustment thereof for producing designs having varying depths and angular cuts. Such an assembly, however, also lacks any means for controlling the uniform beveling of the carpet edge, and is limited with regard to the maximum attainable beveling angle.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide improved pile carpet trimming and beveling apparatus which is capable of performing uniform beveling of a pile carpet edge.
It is also an object of this invention to provide carpet trimming and beveling apparatus of the type described which is capable of producing infinitely adjustable cuts of varying depth and angle.
Still another object of this invention is to provide for apparatus of the type described a roller-mounted base plate for expediting bevel edging operations.
Other objects of this invention will become apparent hereinafter from the specification and the recital of the appended claims, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.